Park Hall Elementary School students can look forward to new playground equipment this spring.

The St. Mary’s school board at its Wednesday meeting approved a contract for the new equipment, which still needs final state approval.

The school board will piggyback on an existing Frederick County contract that gives fixed discounts using the company Standard Elementary School Play Structures with Playground Specialists to buy and install the equipment.

There will be two play structures — one for younger and one for older grades — as well as a swing set and benches. The area will be carpeted with an engineered wood-chip substance made for playgrounds.

Work should be done by April, said Larry Hartwick, supervisor of design and construction.

The playground equipment and installation will cost about $140,865. The remaining dollars will be used to construct sidewalks to the playground areas under a separate contract.

The work will be done by the same company used for the new playground at Mechanicsville Elementary School installed last year, Hartwick said.

The new playground is designed in accordance with playground standards adopted in 2010 by the school board. The improvements at Park Hall were designed by a playground consultant. The existing playground area will be reorganized.

School board member Mary Washington asked how many schools have had new playgrounds since the study conducted three years ago.

“We have done five to date,” Hartwick said, adding that the school staff mostly replaced the playgrounds that were in the worst shape first. Other playgrounds were more in line with the standards, he said, and will require less work and less expense.